


And Time is Frozen

by CastielTheAngel



Series: Voltron Whump Week 2017 [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (again...), Cold Keith, Cold Lance, Dramatic?, Established Keith/Lance (Voltron), Fluffy Ending, Hypothermia, Lance (Voltron) Whump, M/M, Stranded, Voltron Whump Week 2017, Worried Keith, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-15 19:16:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11812488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CastielTheAngel/pseuds/CastielTheAngel
Summary: Lance and Keith are trapped in a cave on a planet made completely of snow and ice. It doesn't go well.





	And Time is Frozen

**Author's Note:**

> ****Unedited!  
> **  
>  I'd appreciate it if you'd correct me so I can fix any typos! Thank you!
> 
>  
> 
>  ~~the title??? i know, it's cheesy, i got it from a song, what the fuck is an original title??? lmfao--~~  
>  The prompt for day two is 'Hypothermia'! And I'm real fucking late! Yaaay!  
> I've written a hypothermia fic for Destiel before, and let me tell you, I have waaay too much fun with these...  
> Why do I insist upon hurting Lance so much? Poor baby. ;-;
> 
>    
>  ~~also why the hell can i refer to dan and phil as 'boys' in fanfiction but not shiro even though he's younger than them lmfao~~  
>   
>   
> 
> More info can be found at [voltronwhumpweek2017](https://voltronwhumpweek2017.tumblr.com) on Tumblr!

 

 

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         Lance realizes his mistake far too late. He should have said something. He should have alerted Shiro and Keith the moment something felt off. The second the unnerving sense of dread had overtaken him.

        _"It'll be fine. You guys just have to fly Blue down to that planet, grab a few Winter White flowers so Coran can extract their medicinal properties, and come back. Piece of cake. Allura will be okay."_ Pidge had assured. Sure, it would be a little risky.  _But... this was Allura_. Allura had fallen ill, and the paladins would do whatever it took to cure her. He knew deep down that there was truly no other option.

         It's starting to feel a lot less simple than Pidge's instructions. Of course the flowers had to be in a cave! _A freezing cave, on a frozen planet, full of frost!_  Lance thinks sourly. To top it all off, a low, alarmingly deep crack quakes deep within the ground beneath the paladins' boots.

        _It's okay,_ Lance had told himself himself. He sincerely wishes that he hadn't. Hadn't Pidge checked to see whether or not the planet was stable? Why couldn't he have warned Shiro and Keith!?

 

         The three paladins weave their ways through the snow-coated, jagged stalagmites, growing closer to the end of their mission with each carefully-placed step. 

         "Look." Shiro says. "The flowers are just past that clearing." He takes a few perilous steps forward.

         The ice groans and trembles under Shiro's feet as the black paladin paces on, and the hairs on the back of Lance's neck rise up.

         Yes, the flowers are _right there_ , but the solid ground beneath them is giving way into a pool of water. Surely it would crack with Shiro's weight and send him plummeting into the freezing liquid. 

         Thankfully, Shiro seems to realize this as well. He returns to Lance and Keith. Concern is prominent in his eyes.

         "I'm not light enough to cross this. We're going to have to figure something else out." He says, looking thoughtful. Keith's gaze shifts to Lance, and the knowing look that rests upon the shorter paladin's face almost has Lance feeling scandalized. Shiro notices the expression.

         "Lance, you're the lightest of us. You know I would never ask you to take a risk like this if the circumstances were different, but Allura is very ill." Shiro murmurs, resting a hand on the younger paladin's shoulder. Lance's heart drops in his chest. Something horrible is going to happen; he just knows it. 

         He can't deny the fact that his weight declares him the most suitable for the task. Yes, he's taller than Keith by nearly two inches, but the red paladin is more muscular- from all the training he does, most definitely- than Lance is. That makes Lance the lightest of the three.

         Lance realizes that he must have misinterpreted Keith's previously suggestive expression, because the elder boy steps in quickly upon seeing Lance's eyes widen in mild surprise.

         "You don't have to. I'm still lighter than Shiro. I can do it." 

         However, Lance is quick to decline the shockingly kind offer. If anyone is to risk their warmth- and possibly even their _life_ , it should be Lance himself. 

         "It's fine." Lance swears, allowing a grin to slip onto his face as he gives Keith a confident nod. He's not sure who he's trying harder to convince here. Keith, Shiro, or himself. 

         Keith frowns while Shiro nods. The eldest of the three turns around to go retrieve the abandoned rope they'd almost tripped over a few yards back. With the rope, they could pull Lance out if he happened to slip through the ice. 

         There's another rumble, and the icy ground trembles angrily beneath their feet. Shiro stops and turns his head to look back at Lance and Keith. Keith whips around to face the black paladin, but he's too late. The stalactites crumble and large chunks of ice fall to the ground, separating Lance and Keith from their leader. 

         "Shiro!" Keith shouts, slamming his fists against the thick wall of ice. All Lance can do is stare in astonishment as Keith summons his bayard and tries to hack away at the icy mess. He only gets in a few good lashes before the effort begins to drain his energy. 

         "Keith, stop. You're gonna hurt yourself." Lance says urgently, pulling Keith away from the carved up wall. Keith's already breathing heavily, startlingly so. The red paladin glares, but he doesn't make a move to return to his previous actions. 

         "Lance, Keith! Can you hear me?" Shiro calls. His voice is muffled- almost distorted- but they can hear him. Keith yells back a response. Shiro continues.

         "You'll need to collect the flowers without the rope. I'll go get Pidge and Hunk down here. We'll get you two out, don't worry."

         Lance's chest tightens. He already hadn't felt safe crossing the small pond, and that was _with_ a rope. He's sure his nerves will be much worse off _without_ one. Apparently something in Lance's expression had changed, because now Keith is grabbing Lance's shoulders and locking eyes with the younger boy.

         "Lance, it's okay. I know you don't want to. I'll do it." Keith insists once again. Lance swallows hard and shakes his head. He doesn't want to risk Keith's life.

         "Well then we'll go together. You don't get an option in this; if you're going, I'm going too. I wasn't going to let you go alone anyway." Keith bites, seeing how Lance had opened his mouth to protest. 

         "You walk on one side, I'll walk on the other, and we'll distribute the weight evenly." Keith decides with a sigh. 

         Lance looks down and smiles softly. 

         "Thank you, Keith." He murmurs. 

 

         The two figure out where the thickest ice is based on where Shiro had stepped and the noises it had made. Lance takes the thinner ice toward the middle while Keith walks along the edge of the pond closer to the wall.

         Lance feels it before he hears it. He feels the soft spot in the ice sink beneath his boot, but it's too late to bail out of the step. He's already shifted his weight to that leg.

         Then he hears it.

         A sickening crunch that echoes through the cave.

         "Keith!" Lance cries out. Keith turns just in time for Lance to glimpse the panic on Keith's face before the younger boy's leg plunges into the water, causing him to topple forward. His outstretched arms crack the ice as he tries to save himself from falling.

         Lance's dead weight distresses the ice, and it promptly shatters the moment the rest of his body crashes into it, sending him flailing into the freezing water. 

         Lance almost shrieks at the sudden cold that surrounds him, but the intensity of the initial shock prevents him from doing so. He can hear Keith shouting his name, and then strong-gripping hands are closing around his wrists and pulling on his arms. 

         "Keith-" Lance gasps, trying to wrap his long fingers around the elder boy's forearms. They're too numb to move, so he can't curl them enough to get a good hold. Luckily, Keith has a strong enough grip on Lance that he doesn't need the blue paladin's help. Keith drags Lance forward and onto the ice, which whines beneath their weight. Lance scrambles to get up, but Keith holds him down. 

         "Hey, hey, hey, stop, wait a second-" The red paladin grunts. "We're not on safe ground yet. Just stay still."

         If this had been a less wet and cold situation, Lance would have panicked and ignored Keith. Well, the panicking is already mildly under way. But his shocked body is simultaneously frozen and on fire, so he can't do much of anything.

         Keith pulls Lance off of the ice and into the flowery hollow of the cave. Lance just lies there for a few moments, gasping and swallowing hard, as if that will force the post-incident fear back down his throat. He doesn't realize how hard he's breathing until Keith says something.

         "It's okay. It's okay. You're okay." The elder boy breathes, kneeling down and straddling Lance's torso. He cups the brunet's flushed face in his hands. Lance stares up at Keith through unfocused eyes and Keith leans over to press his forehead to Lance's. 

         "You're safe now." He murmurs. His eyes flutter closed as he presses a gentle kiss to Lance's cold, trembling lips. Lance shudders out a sigh through his nose and allows himself to relax against Keith's soft mouth. 

         "Don't ever scare me like that again, idiot." Keith warns once he pulls back to look at the boy beneath him, knowing very well that Lance hadn't planned on falling through the ice. Lance just chuckles helplessly.

         "I don't intend to, but no promises." He breathes. Keith shakes his head and pulls Lance up into a sitting position, hugging the boy as hard as he can manage without actually hurting him. Lance groans at the tightness around his shoulders and arms, but he appreciates Keith's warmth, so he wraps his arms around Keith's waist.

         Keith looks down at Lance. There's a concerned frown on his face.

         "You're seriously shaking." He observes quietly. Lance hadn't even noticed just how hard he'd been trembling. 

         "S'really cold." He responds, leaning into Keith's chest. Keith hugs Lance closer.

         "But at least you didn't get very wet." Keith hums, bending his neck awkwardly to press a kiss into Lance's fluffy mess of hair. Lance shakes his head. Keith freezes. Surely the water hadn't seeped through his paladin armor and suit. It's meant to be worn into  _outer space_ ; of _course_ it's waterproof!

         "I did. I f-fell in up to my chin and th... the water got into my suit." Lance chatters. Keith freezes. The neckline. _Of course_. They'd left their helmets just outside the cave because it had been warmer in there. If Lance had kept his helmet on, it would have covered the collar of his suit and kept the water out.

         Keith lets out a string of obscene curses under his breath and falls back on his haunches to look at Lance, hovering above the boy's knees. 

         Lance's shivering becomes more violent almost immediately upon the disappearance of Keith's warmth, and Lance whines at the lack of contact. Keith moves so he's sitting beside Lance rather than straddling him. 

         "A while ago, Coran told me that he and Allura were in a similar situation when she was really young. He said he had to keep her off the ground to keep her from getting too cold." Keith recalls. He doesn't have to say anything more; Lance is already making use of Keith's initial idea. He climbs onto Keith's thighs and tucks his legs around Keith's torso, clumsily pitching forward to lean into Keith's shoulder and bury his face into Keith's neck. Keith allows Lance a moment to get comfortable before he slips his arms around the boy's back. The position of Lance's head is generally awkward due to their neck guards, but they make it work.

         "It's so cold." Lance groans, inhaling Keith's scent as he presses impossibly closer to the elder boy's neck. Keith runs his hands up and down the portion of Lance's lower back which the chest armor doesn't cover, attempting to warm him up a little.

         "I know. I'm sorry." He murmurs. His chest twists horribly. Lance's trembling has become more consistent rather than just little bouts every few seconds, but they're not as harsh as before. His body is beginning to slow down.

          "Tired." Lance mumbles. His body slumps limply against Keith's chest, and the hands that had once been perched on Keith's shoulders have slipped and fallen to Lance's sides. 

          "No. No no no, you have to stay awake." Keith orders, raising his voice in alarm. Lance drawls out a high-pitched whine.

          Keith reaches to grab Lance's wrists. He pulls the paladin's hands up and presses them between both boys' chests for more warmth.

          Lance allows his eyes to slide shut as Keith's fingers doodle little circles on Lance's back. It's quite relaxing, and although Keith had demanded that Lance stay alert, the younger really doesn't want to obey.

          "Lance!" Keith barks, pinching Lance's bicep. _Hard_. Lance's eyes snap open at once and Keith exhales in what Lance supposes is relief. 

          "I know you're tired, but you gotta stay awake. Please." Keith murmurs, turning and pressing a kiss to the side of Lance's head. Keith cards his black-clad fingers through Lance's hair, smoothing out a few disheveled tufts. 

          Lance can almost physically feel his energy draining. It's as if something's literally sucking the life from his freezing body. He's still growing even colder yet, but his body no longer holds the will to shiver for warmth.

          "You still with me?" Keith asks softly after a few long moments. Lance hums a response. If they had ended up in a different, less exhausting situation, Lance might have appreciated- or even been surprised by- the gentle tone Keith takes on.

          "We'll be okay. Shiro will be back soon with Pidge and Hunk. They'll get us out of here." Keith murmurs into Lance's ear. Lance nods. It's small and subtle, but Keith picks up on it. 

 

          _Shit_. Keith thinks drowsily. Lance has fallen asleep again.

          Keith pushes Lance up off of his chest and he shakes the boy's shoulders. Lance's head lolls limply with the motion. 

          Panic courses through Keith's veins when Lance doesn't provide any indication of being conscious. It doesn't awaken Keith any further though. He'd just began shivering and yawning a few moments ago. 

          Keith valiently fights against his body's will to succumb to the cold weighing down his subconcious mind. 

          Then Keith hears it. There are muffled sounds on the other side of the icy wall across the small pond. He doesn't have to keep up the battle against a frozen sleep for much longer.

 

          _Keith_.

          It's the first thing that comes to Lance's mind when he awakens in a bed- his own, he assumes- clooked in warm, fluffy blankets. He's in different clothes; warmer ones. He turns over and tries to sit up, but there's another body lying next to him, and two strong arms around his torso prevent him from moving any further away.

          "Keith?" Lance pulls the blankets back, and Keith is beneath them staring up at him through half-lidded eyes. The elder boy yanks at Lance's waist and pulls Lance back down into the nest of sheets and heat. 

           "Told you they'd come soon." He says with a smirk. Lance rolls his eyes. _Apparently not before you passed out as well,_ he wants to reply with, but he refrains from being a smartass for once.

          The two fall silent and Lance's eyes begin to droop again. The final thing he takes note of before he allows sleep to overtake his mind is Keith's breathing. The gentle puffs of air that fan out across Lance's face, and the soft exhales that lull him back into slumber.

 

 

✿◉●•◦ ◦•●◉✿

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> In case you didn't get it from the tags, Keith and Lance were already together.
> 
> I never explicitly stated that they were already boyfriends, but actions spoke louder than words, I guess. OuO


End file.
